ABC News(NEW YORK) — A cold front moved through the Northeast Wednesday, causing snow squalls, lowering visibility briefly, and producing a dusting of snow up to a few inches in spots.
Now that the cold front has moved out, the Northeast is chilly Thursday morning. But this will not last long, as much milder weather is on the way for the weekend, with highs in the 60s expected from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia, New York City and Boston.
Now our attention turns to the Central U.S., where a major storm will be forming later Thursday and into Friday with a threat for tornadoes and flooding to the south and heavy snow to the north.
On Friday afternoon and night, a major storm will be forming in the southern Plains with the threat of tornadoes and damaging winds from Dallas to Little Rock and from Houston east to Jackson, Miss.
Further north, flash flooding is expected from Oklahoma to Michigan as flood watches and flash flood watches have been issued for nine states.
By Saturday afternoon and evening, severe weather with a threat for tornadoes and damaging winds will move east into New Orleans, Birmingham, Alabama, Atlanta and Tallahassee, Florida.
Further north, heavy rain will continue for the Ohio Valley.
On the back side of the storm, heavy snow could develop from Missouri to near Chicago and into Michigan.
Some areas could see as much as 4 to 6 inches of rain, and flash flooding could be a significant threat.
In the meantime, some areas from northern Oklahoma to Michigan could see snow ranging from 6 to 12 inches. A foot of snow expected from Wisconsin to Michigan, with lower amounts in Oklahoma and Iowa.
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